The present invention relates to stringed musical instruments. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus for easily installing and tensioning the strings of a musical instrument, such as a guitar, during the installation and tuning process.
Stringed musical instruments produce sound through the vibration of a string or a group of strings that are mounted in tension to the musical instrument. The pitch of the sound is generally a function of the length of the string and level of tension in the string, which is set when a string is initially attached to the instrument. During installation of the string, a user tunes the instrument by slowly tightening the string to vary the tension until an undamped string produces a desired pitch.
Acoustic guitars have several strings that extend in tension from the bridge of the guitar to the head of the guitar. Replacing a string comprises attaching one end of each string to the guitar bridge and the other end of the string to a respective tuning peg in the guitar head. The peg is then rotated so that the string wraps around the tuning peg. In this manner, slack is removed from the string and tension is applied thereto. The pitch of the string is adjusted and the instrument is tuned by slowly turning the peg and varying the amount of tension in the strings.
The tuning of each string is greatly improved if the user applies steady tension to the string, which results in a uniform string windage as the string winds around the tuning peg. The string tends to be arranged in more uniform coils when wound under constant tension, and the tension within the string is generally balanced at all times during the winding. The steady string tension reduces the likelihood that a portion of the string already wound on the peg will shift or slip as it adjusts to slight fluctuations in tension imposed during winding.
Unfortunately, it is very difficult for a user to apply tension to the string using his or her hands, as the tension causes the string to dig into the hands. This can be quite painful, especially for the high levels of tension that are desired. Consequently, the user often applies an uneven tension as the string is wound around the peg, which degrades the tuning of the instrument.
Another problem arises after the strings have been fully tightened. The strings often retain a slight spiral shape as a result of prolonged periods on storage spools. After the strings have been installed on the instrument, the spirals gradually straighten over time so that the string exhibits slack, which degrades the tuning of the guitar. Even strings without any spiral shape often tend to become slack as they adjust to the tension applied to them and stretch over time. As this happens, the string requires further winding in order to return it to the proper tension. This process must often be repeated several times, until an equilibrium point is reached where no more stretching occurs at the required tension level in the string. Until such time as the tension has stabilized, normal use of the instrument tends to pull the string out of tune due to this stretching, which is accelerated by use.
This process of use and repeated re-tuning over time in order to break in a string is not always practical for a musician. Sometimes it is necessary for a single string to be replaced and broken in as soon as possible without upsetting the remaining strings on the instrument. For instance, if a string breaks during a performance, a musician cannot periodically stop and re-tune the instrument as the string relaxes and falls out of tune. Furthermore, new strings often have more desirable sound qualities than strings which have already been in use for the time needed to break in a string.
Therefore, there is a need for a device which provides for smooth application of tension during the winding of the string onto a musical instrument, without pulling the string out of alignment from the tuning peg. Desirably, the device can also be used to break in and stabilize the tension of a string after initial tuning.